


Lighter

by Servena



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Friendship, Gen, Loneliness
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-29
Updated: 2017-09-29
Packaged: 2019-02-04 09:14:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 412
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12767784
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Servena/pseuds/Servena
Summary: When Jonathan finally arrived on the school parking lot, it felt like a heavy weight had settled his chest.





	Lighter

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the Sommerchallenge 2017.

Jonathan had just turned off the stove and was grabbing three slightly chipped plates from the cupboard when his mother rushed into the kitchen.

“Hey, I made bacon and eggs –“, he began to say, but she shook her head. “Sorry sweetie, but I have to run, Donald just called, I have to come in early because there’s something wrong with the delivery and Carol’s still sick…” She slipped into her jacket while she frantically looked around the kitchen.

“Keys are on the table in the living room”, he said as he put one of the plates back and laid the other two out on the kitchen table.

“Thanks, honey!” she shouted as she rushed to grab them. When she poked her head back in, she asked: “Is Will up?”

“Yeah, he’s in the bathroom.” He piled the bacon and eggs onto the plates.

“Can you make sure he leaves on time? He’s been late once already this week.”

“Yeah, yeah”, he said, but his mother had already disappeared out of the door.

Will came into the kitchen a few minutes later. He was barely awake and they were both already late, so they ate their breakfast in rushed silence. When Jonathan finally arrived on the school parking lot, it felt like a heavy weight had settled in his chest.

He got out of the car and locked it up, mostly out of habit (nobody would steal this piece of junk anyway), when a familiar voice called out to him: “Hey!”

He turned around to look directly into Nancy’s smiling face. “Hey”, he mumbled, a bit surprised.

“So, did you make some new photos yesterday?” she asked, falling into step next to him on their way into the school building as if they had done this forever.

“Yeah, I walked over the fields a bit, saw some deer and birds.” He had stayed clear of the forest though, the dark shadow between the trees bringing up bad memories.

“Can I see them?” she asked.

He shrugged. “I haven’t developed them yet, I’m going to the darkroom after lunch.”

He stopped at his locker, expecting her to keep walking, but she halted as well, asking: “Can I come and watch?”

He hesitated, surprised by her question. “Yeah. Okay.”

“Okay, see you after lunch!” She waved at him and disappeared into the crowd, on the way to her next class. For a moment he just stood there and looked after her.

He felt lighter somehow.


End file.
